2 Los Angeles police detectives ambushed, suffer minor wounds

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Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Cmdr. Andrew Smith speaks to media after two police officers were shot and wounded in an attack outside the department's Wilshire station Tuesday, June 25, 2013. Police cordoned off 25 square blocks of the Mid-City area, detained three or four people for questioning and planned to look at surveillance video from homes and businesses in the area, Cmdr. Smith said. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

Los Angeles police officers close off and search a city street after two police officers were shot and wounded in an attack outside a police station in the Mid-City area of Los Angeles on Tuesday June 25, 2013. A black-clad gunman ambushed two detectives returning to a police station early Tuesday, but they received only minor injuries and were helping in the hunt for the attacker, police said. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

LOS ANGELES — A black-clad gunman ambushed two detectives returning to a police station early Tuesday, but they received only minor injuries and were helping in the hunt for the attacker, police said.

Police cordoned off 25 square blocks of the Mid-City area, detained three or four people for questioning and planned to look at surveillance video from homes and businesses in the area, Cmdr. Andrew Smith said.

Portions of the busy area would remain locked down until at least noon, Smith said.

“Anybody who’s willing to do this and take on two armed police officers outside of a police station is obviously a very dangerous person,” Smith said. “We want to do everything we can to get this individual in custody so we can keep our community safe.”

The detectives, who are with an undercover burglary task force, were returning to the Wilshire Division station on Venice Boulevard at about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday and were using a keycard to open the gate when they were attacked, police said.

“Suddenly someone from behind began shooting at their vehicle,” Smith said.

The car was hit several times and the detectives fired back, but the man ran away, Newman said at a later news conference.

One officer suffered a minor wound to the back of his head, either from a bullet graze or debris from the damaged car, Newman said. The other had an injury to the back of his hand. They were treated at a hospital and returned to a command post for the manhunt.